Ship-protecting shield.



W.-A. SHEPHARD.

SHIP PROTECTING SHIELD.

APPLICATION FlLED MAY-29.1916.

l,2 2i3,62f7w Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

nrlllllIlllllllllllllllllllll m2 NORRIS FEYERS cu., morn-Luna rusummvu. ov c WILLIAM A. SHEPHARD, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN.

SHIP-PROTECTING- SHIELD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SHEPHARD,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Waukesha, in the county of Waukesha and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship- Protecting Shields; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

, The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective means for protecting vessels of all types against damage by torpedo attacks.

With the above objectin view the invention contemplates'the embodiment of a submersible shield which may be attached in any suitable manner to the sides of the vessel whereby it can be raised or lowered under suitable Winch control.

Specific objects of my invention are to provide a shield embodying a frame having a vented sheathing fixed thereto, whereby the speed of the boat is not retarded materially, due to the fact that the water can freely travel through sections or open portions of the shield, while at the same time said shield presents a solid surface for the impact of a tor edo.

A further ob ect of my invention is to arrange the shield in such manner that it is suspended by arms from the sides of the boat a sufiicient distance whereby a wall of '1 water between the shield and boat will abthe accompanying drawings and sorb the shock of an explosion caused by the torpedo coming in contact with the shield, it being understood that said shield is free to swing from the point of suspension, but that the resistance ofiered in case of a to edo striking it will cause the same to e ode.

ith the above and minor objects in View, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as herein set forth with reference to subsequently cla med.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a fragmentary sectional view of a vessel showing one side -.equipped with-a shield embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 a plan sectional view of the same,

the section being indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

'Fig. 3 a detailed sectional elevation of one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2d, 1917.

Application filed May 29, 1916 Serial No. 100,513.

of the shield units, the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

j Referr ng by characters to the drawings, a represents the side wall of a vessel hull to which is attached by brackets, 21' series of vertically disposed guide rods 1, the same being shown above the water line. In order to slmplify the description and illustration of this invention, only one unit orsection of the shield is shown, but it is understood that throughout the length of the vessel a series of such units are employed whereby the ship is'protected from end to end, the

series of units being arranged to'approximately abuteach other end to end to form a practically continuous a ron.

Each unit of the shiel is suspended upon a pair of guide rods 1, by clusters of arms 2, 2, the inner ends of the arms being in pivotal union with heads 3 which are in slidable union with the guide rods. The outer ends of the arms are each pivoted to cars 3 which project from a back bone 4 that constitutes a frame member, the same bein in the form of a rod or tube as shown. The back bone 4. has also a series of spreader brackets 5 depending therefrom, to which brackets are secured vertically dis osed sheathing plates 6. As best shown in igs. 2 and 3,.these sheathing plates over lap each other at their edges and are disposed at slight alternating angles in plan, whereby 'water gaps are formed at their over lapped of the plates, the shield unit as a-whole will not havea tendency to swing when opposed by the current ofwater as it travels therethrough.

As shown in Fig. 3 the lower submerged ends of the sheathm plate may be connected by straps 7 whereby rigidity of each unit is insured. It will also be observed that the shield unit as a whole is capable of.

swinging about its pointof suspension which is the back bone or the frame 4. Groups of arms 2, 2' willthus hold the shield units at the desired distance from the side walls of the vessel to provide a body of water therebetween sufficient, to form a cushion to resist the shock of an explosion, incidental to a torpedo coming in contact with the outer surface of the sheathing plate.

While I have shown and described a specific form of sheathing plateand means for suspending it from the vessel, it is manifest of the shield by a flexible cable or cables 9,- the same being shown training over a suitable guide sheave which is fixed to the side of the vessel. By this arrangement it is manifest that 'undersuitable clutch control the winch can be put into motion, whereby the shieldunits willbe lifted from the water and avhen so lifted their sus-' pending arms' will swing upon the heads 3 to a'vertic'al position- A further continued movement of the which, will cause the shield units to ride vertically clear of the water dueto the fact that the headsare.

capable of sliding upwardly upon the guide rods 1. y i I Hence the shields are folded closely to the sides of the boat and form no obstruction. Bythis arrangement the shields can be quickly raised and lowered when it is desired, and should a torpedo come in contact with any one of the units, it will ex-v plode and thus prevent dam'age'to the side fcopies of this patent maybe obtained for walls of the vessel. It will be understood of course that when an explosion occurs, the shield unit whichcauses the torpedo to burst will be more or less damaged, and in order to quickly repair such damage, re-

serve shield units carried in stock, can be readily put into place whereby the protecting shield as a whole is repaired.

lt isobvious that in stormy weather in order to-prevent the shields from swinging and damagingthe sides of the vessel their lower ends may be lashed in anv suitable manner to the guide rods or any other point of anchorage that is convenient.

I claim: I I

1. A submersible shield for protecting ships comprising a frame, vertically disposed sheathing plates carried by the frame having their edges overlapped and spaced apart, arms having ends in hinged connection with the upper portion 'of the frame means for hingedly connecting the opposite ends of the arms to the sidesof the vessel, and means for raising and lowering the shields. I

2. A submersible shield for protecting ships comprising av frame, vertically dis- 1 posed sheathing plates carried therebyhav- .ing their edges overlapped and spaced apart, arms in pivotal union withthe upper portion of the frame, guide rods adapted to be secured to the vessel sides, slidable heads mounted upon the guide rods in pivotal-union with the otherv ends of the arms,

a power controlled winch mechanism and cabl'esconnecting the winch mechanisms and upperuportion ofthe shield frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee,

in the countyof Milwaukee and .State of Wisconsin.

five-cents. each, by addressing the Commissioner of, .."?e .te1it s.

Washington, D. (1.?

WILLIAM AI siinrn aien. 

